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Hopw to make your own Hydro Pump
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Author:  Mick [ Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Hopw to make your own Hydro Pump

SGC spotted a rather neat little device sometime ago which looked like it could have the makings of a half decent hydro pump.

http://www.soldsmart.com.au/l3.aspx?goods=GM2512RD (EDIT: search eBay as Soldsmart don't seem to carry them anymore, they come up for sale at around the 50-70 dollar mark from time to time.)

They are capable of 25 bar (about 360 PSI) which should be ok as long as they're not being optimistic about the pump's capabilities...
I like the idea of this larger unit as it has a large capacity, is self contained, should keep spills to a minimum, and hopefully help to keep air out from the lines due to the removal of a need to refill while pumping the hydro up (normal grease guns need to be refilled about twice or so each side). It also allows me to add a pressure gauge into the mix, and if I'm lucky to include a drainback to the tank.

I took a while, but eventually I made the purchase as soon as they came back into stock. I also picked up the specialised schraeder chuck to attach the mini to the unit : http://www.skygeek.com/ats-556.html


This is the unit, it is provided with a 2 meter long hose, an extra isolation valve and the usual grease nipple fittings which I will turf.
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The pickup is from the very bottom of the drum (fixed) while the plate slides up and down the shaft as the grease level dictates to keep the product up to the pickup as it is drawn out. I will remove this plate as well as it is not required. (EDIT 1/3/13: I have since found it is best to leave it in as it supports the pump as you push down hard on the handle. Leaving it off puts too much strain on the lid causing cracks. Drill a few holes through to allow fluid to pass from above the plate to below..but otherwise leave it as is.)Don't be fooled by the pretty pictures, it is a cheap little unit with simple fittings and pretty crummy finish, but I am hoping it will be up for the job (fingers crossed).

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The other two items I have picked up is a pressure gauge for 20 bucks new ( !! ) and the shrader valve chuck. The shrader valve I picked up for 40 Goober Dollars + a little post. I could have silver soldered up a simple cap, but i like the control this chuck can provide, and it screws straight into the grease gun's 1/8 NPT connection.

http://www.skygeek.com/ats-556.html

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I could hook it up tonight and give it a whirl, but I'm keen to include the pressure gauge into the mix and see what pressures I am playing around with as I go...so I'll wait....

I need an adaptor at the pump end of the hose to pick off the line pressure. I'll drop into Pirtek or Enzed in the morning and see how I go. I would also like to adapt a fitting in the pump head to allow me to drain the hydro lines from the car directly back in to the tank. This will help me to ensure the lines are bled, and make a quick and mess free fill/drain/refill cycle to purge the system out (as I can't evacuate the lines).

I'll let you know how I go in the morning, and post the results!

Author:  sgc [ Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:51 pm ]
Post subject: 

Nice one Mick, blazing the trail as usual :D

Author:  Mick [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:30 am ]
Post subject: 

Thanks Simon. Nothing new in it however, just a different grease pump with a larger capacity...




I gave it a whirl this morning after a visit to Enzed. Thirty minutes later, I left with more than a few adaptors to make my own Frankenstein's Monster. There was a hitch in that the thread which connects the hose to the pump head is a very coarse thread which was unable to be identified by the local enzed crew off hand. So I was left with no alternative other than to attach the gauge and bleed valve to the back of the shrader valve chuck. Not a bad solution, although I do need to be careful stowing the head.

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The routine I used is to screw the attach the unit to the car with the chuck valve shut off initially, bleed hydro pump by pumping fluid through to the bleed off valve and into a spare plastic bottle, and then back flush the chuck by bleeding the pressure out of the car. The tank holds about 19 litres in all, I had enough glycol to make 10 litres of new fluid using a 50:50 mix. I might pick up proper Lockheed fluid now that I've proven it works. I'm not sure what the alcohol in the genuine fluid brings to the party, but BMC added it for a reason I suppose.

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After pumping the car up and dumping pressure a few times to clear the lines out of old fluid, and remove the air which gathers at the high points, I pumped the system up to 350 PSI, and then allowed the unit to bleed back slowly to 290. The pump made the pressure and volume up very easily, it took maybe two or three dozen strokes to do so. The fluid will bleed slowly back to the tank at a rate of about 20 PSI every 30 seconds, so this was useful in getting the height correct (edit: After having a good look at the included ball valve I noticed the fluid was leaking past this because it needed a bit of adjustment to get sealing, once this was done the pressure holds as you would expect it to). I pumped it past the correct level and allowed it to settle back to where I wanted it to be.

I realise the pump is nothing more than a repackaging of the common grease gun design, but the huge capacity, the removal of the leaks inherrant in a grease gun, ready-to-go nature and ease of use makes it a pretty useful unit. Hydro checks and repairs at my house will now be easier than an oil change. All up cost to me was a little under 170 dollars.

I hope its useful to someone desiring a slightly heavier duty version of a simple useable design. If what I have done can be improved on, then let me know.

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Author:  Davo111 [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:56 am ]
Post subject: 

COLOUR CODED TO MATCH YOU CAR, YOUR A LEGEND, :roll:

Guess what, A/C works super cool, amazing what a gas top up will do. :oops:

I am a Richard Cranium................ :x :x :x

Author:  Mick [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 12:01 pm ]
Post subject: 

Davo111 wrote:
Guess what, A/C works super cool, amazing what a gas top up will do. :oops:


Air Conditioner + Gas = Chilled air? Who woulda thought! :lol:

Good stuff, now the runs down to Torquay this summer will be cool and comfortable.

Author:  winabbey [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 1:28 pm ]
Post subject: 

Great job, Mick. Typical of your talents. What's the rental charge? :)

How easy would it be to fit the pressure gauge to the tank rather than at the far end of the hose? From an operating viewpoint I would think it would be easier and more comfortable to look at the tank as you pump rather than peering down under the back of the car. Not a criticism, just a 'constructive comment'.

Author:  Mick [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:11 pm ]
Post subject: 

That was exactly what I was hoping to do. But the people at Enzed were unable to identify the large, coarse thread used for the other end of the hose, so without an adapter this is what I had to live with. It would have been nice to be able to drain the fluid directly back to the tank...but oh well...

I might drop into another hydraulic supplier sometime soon and see if they can identify it.

Rent? I have 8 liters more hydro fluid than I could possibly consume :P You could do me a favor :)

Author:  sgc [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:13 pm ]
Post subject: 

Mick wrote:
It would have been nice to be able to drain the fluid directly back to the tank


I reckon you may have a blessing in disguise there.. now at least your tank is pretty well guaranteed to contain clean fluid, not contaminated by the rusty smelly stuff which will inevitably live in the hydro lines ;)

Author:  Mick [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:21 pm ]
Post subject: 

I was onto that as well Simon, I thought I would fit a cheap little inline plastic fuel filter and see how that would go to filter the crap and solids out of the fluid??.....But the best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew

Author:  sgc [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:26 pm ]
Post subject: 

Mick wrote:
I thought I would fit a cheap little inline plastic fuel filter


Not a bad idea, but I wonder how it would stand up to 350psi... :shock:

Author:  Mick [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:35 pm ]
Post subject: 

I don't think it would need to bear the full pressure. On one side is the line pressure which is cracked open by a valve partially, and on the other is atmospheric pressure. I would have needed to release it in a controlled manner...or wear the consequences :lol:

Author:  awdmoke [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:37 pm ]
Post subject: 

A large metal fuel filter rated for EFI duty can be had for under $10, or was last time I bought one for a VL turbo.

Author:  sgc [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:58 pm ]
Post subject: 

Mick wrote:
I don't think it would need to bear the full pressure.


Ah, are you suggesting there's a second return line from the schraeder valve, and the filter is not installed in the line used to deliver fluid to the car... ? If that's the case, then yes.. you're right, a cheapie plastic jobbie would be fine.

Author:  Mick [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 3:08 pm ]
Post subject: 

Yeah, from the 1/4 inch barb back to the waste bottle (or back into the tank), not inline.

Author:  winabbey [ Mon Dec 14, 2009 3:45 pm ]
Post subject: 

I see the same guy selling under SoldSmart also has them on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BR-NEW-PRO-HIGH- ... 19b8801d9a

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